Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been somewhat fortunate. Finding out I was going to be a father is just one example. Another came the other day as Tropical Storm Lee blew through my area. A large chunk of the oak tree sitting in my front yard fell. Directly underneath is was my Jeep Grand Cherokee. Somehow though, the chunk spun and landed six inches from my front bumper.

That, in and of itself, was pretty awesome. However, yesterday I had to cut that large chunk up. That’s when I saw something pretty cool. Apparently, there were zone lines all around the inside of the chunk. It apparently had been dead for some time, and now was spalted. Oh yeah.

Of course, the whole tree has got to go down, but I really wish I could find someone with a portable saw mill so that when we take this down, we I can get some serious wood.

Of course, being a hand tool guy, I guess I could break it down the old fashioned way…

You are welcome to borrow my grandfather’s two handle cross cut saw. He told me when I was a little kid they made boards by digging a pit. (anything you do that requires a pit has got to be bad…) and a wood frame to hold the log over the pit. One person was in the pit, another above it and they both sawed at the log to make lumber.

I have both a two handled cross cut saw and the shorter one handled version. I have found that even though I have learned to sharpen them better than I was able to 40 years ago when I first obtained them,it is harder to cut wood now than it was back then. It surely could not be me that is the problem, the trees must be getting harder. If you do have make smaller pieces out of the large ones, I would suggestthat you either buy, borrow, or rent a chain saw. If you just want to split it lengthways, some wedgesand elbow grease should do the trick. Good luck with your wood source.

Hal: I had read about how you do it and I have to agree with you. If it requires a pit, it’s got to be bad. I guess the pit can double as my grave when I’m done :)

Gus: I’ve got access to an electric chainsaw. I might have to look into the process of using that. If not, I may have to look at renting one.

Scott: Thanks for that. The upside is that if I do it, I know I can get quartersawn oak. The downside is that’s a ton of work. Unfortunately, there’s only one saw mill I’ve found remotely close by, and that’s still almost an hour drive. Those puppies won’t fit in the Grand Cherokee unfortunately.

Wedge and Edge. Go ahead and split the thing into quartered sections ad rive it into smaller ones. It’s not as hard as you might think and the wood will be better for hand tool use since it wont have runout.

Wedge and Edge. Go ahead and split the thing into quartered sections ad rive it into smaller ones. It’s not as hard as you might think and the wood will be better for hand tool use since it wont have runout.

Forget the electric chainsaw route right now! I have burned out 3 of them cutting blanks for wood turning before I wised up and bought a 20” stihl. It is good for cutting a few small branches and the odd one or two things but it is definitely not geared to handle a big log and you will burn 3 or 4 of them up trying to go that route. You would be far better off to spend a couple hundred or so in a good chainsaw, well maybe 3 or 4 hundred. There are guys with portable chain mills that would be willing to travel and cut your wood for you.

I’d love to spend a couple hundred on a good chainsaw, but I frankly can’t justify the expense. I may have to find alternate means, but I can’t spend that kind of money on a chainsaw when I really don’t need one all that often.